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THE

STUTTERINGFOUNDATION

THE

STUTTERINGFOUNDATIONA Nonprofit OrganizationSince 1947— Helping Those Who Stutter

9/13

info@StutteringHelp.org

800-992-9392

www.StutteringHelp.org www.tartamudez.org

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www.StutteringHelp.orgwww.tartamudez.org

Did you know...� Over three million Americans stutter.� Stuttering affects three to four times as many males as

females.� People who stutter are as intelligent and well-adjusted as

non-stutterers.� Despite decades of research, there are no clear-cut answers

to questions about the causes of stuttering, but we havelearned much about factors that contribute to itsdevelopment in the areas of genetics, neurophysiology, child development, and family dynamics.

� As a result, we have made tremendous progress in theprevention of stuttering in young children.

� People who stutter may be self-conscious about theirstuttering and often let the disability determine thevocation they choose.

� There are no instant miracle cures for stuttering. Therapy isnot an overnight process.

� Stuttering becomes an increasingly formidable problem inthe teen years as dating and social interaction begin.

� A qualified clinician can help not only children but also teenagers, young adults and even older adults makesignificant progress toward fluency.

� James Earl Jones, John Stossel, Darren Sproles, KenyonMartin, Annie Glenn, Bill Walton, Mel Tillis, NicholasBrendon, Robert Merrill, Carly Simon, KenVenturi, Bob Love,John Updike, Lewis Carroll, King George VI, WinstonChurchill and Marilyn Monroe —all famous people who stutter.

Winston Churchill John Stossel Marilyn Monroe James Earl Jones

▪ Practice should help you to feel happier about using the telephone.

▪ Confront your fear of the telephone.Talk about what it is that you fearhappening and what you can do about it.

▪ Try to be aware of situations whereyou avoid using the telephone andgradually tackle these calls. Makethe most of local calls for practice.Choose to use the telephone ratherthan write letters.

▪ Try to be the person in your householdwho answers the telephone.

▪ Openly admit that you stutter. Thismay be very difficult if you haveavoided talking about it all your life.Practice talking about your stuttering.Many people have said that talkingabout it has reduced their anxiety and fear.

▪ Watch and listen to non-stutterersusing the telephone. Listen to theirlack of fluency and their hesitation.

▪ Give others the benefit of the doubt. If they know you stutter then theyare prepared to expect some silences.

▪ Finally practice, practice, practice. Donot let that modern-day piece ofplastic dominate your life. It is farbetter to use the telephone and stutterthan to avoid using the telephone.

Using the TelephoneGeneral Advice

A Nonprofit OrganizationSince 1947—Helping Those Who Stutter

P.O. Box 11749 • Memphis, TN 38111

A Guide for People Who Stutter

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��The CallQuite often the difficult part is getting through

to the right person. If you are confronted by areceptionist, for example, would an extensionnumber or department be easier to say thansomeone’s name? Have some alternative firstwords in mind; be flexible in what you want tosay. If you do start to block, stutter openly, gentlyand easily; try not to force the words out andmost importantly remember to speak slowly.

Do not worry too much about silences; theyoccur in all conversations. Concentrate on whatyou have to say, rather than worry about anyblocks. Your purpose is to communicate, whetheryou stutter or not. Pay attention to your fluentspeech. Many stutterers forget about their times offluency and dwell on the stuttering. Savor yourfluency; make other calls when feeling more fluent;strike while the iron is hot. Fluent speech breedsconfidence, and confidence breeds fluent speech.

Watching yourself in a mirror while phoning canbe helpful as you will be able to see where thetension lies in your face and other parts of yourbody. If you persevered with a difficult call and feltyou communicated well, then praise or treatyourself and remember the good feeling that asuccessful call gave you.

��Assessing How You DidMost people, not just those who stutter, some-

times make calls when they feel they have beenless than fluent or have not managed to get theirmessage across.

If you felt that a particular call was stressful andyou stuttered more than usual, try to forget it.Adopt a positive attitude; remember there will beother conversations when you will stutter less. Itis not a disaster to stutter, and you can learn fromeach speaking experience. At home, record your

Many people–whether they stutter ornot–have difficulty using the telephone.

Listen to some non-stutterers dealing withphone calls. Some take several seconds toanswer. Others may “Um” and “Ah” a lot.Others may be very expressive with theirhands or faces, perhaps talking loudly andaggressively.

Using the phone can cause a great deal ofanguish, and each person must learn to copewith it in his or her own way.

If, as a person who stutters, you have aproblem using the telephone, then you mayfind the following advice helpful.

Making a call can usually be split intothree phases: preparation, the call, assessinghow you did.

��PreparationMake sure you know why you are calling.Write the key points on paper and have

it in front of you when you call.

Try phoning a friend or relative just beforethe big call. This may help relax you.

If you have a number of calls to make, listthem in ascending order. Start with the

easiest and work your way up to the mostdifficult.

Do not keep putting off the call you needto make. That will make it even more

stressful and difficult.

telephone conversations if you can. Noteyour speech carefully, especially the speedand the lead up to any blocks. Try to learnfrom each recording, and prepare a strategyfor the next call. Doing this over a period oftime will help to identify certain recurringproblems and words.

This is the area over which you have leastcontrol. However, even here you can go partway to easing some of the pressure you may feel.

Always answer the call in your own time.Don’t rush to the telephone.

Again have key word options ready: your extension number, name of your

organization, or even just your name. Usewhatever comes easiest to you at that moment.

If you receive a call within earshot ofother people, concentrate solely on that

call. Accept that others may hear and see youblock, but do not allow their presence todistract you from your phone call.

Don’t be afraid of initial silence on thephone if you struggle for your first word. It

is quite common for someone to answer thephone and then not speak, either becausethey’re finishing a conversation with acolleague or because they have picked upsomeone else’s phone and are waiting for themto return to their seat.

The person phoning you may also stutter.Be patient with others who may be just as

anxious as you and may be putting into practicesome of the above points.

Using The Telephone

Making Calls To Others

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Receiving Calls

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